These Bears golden

PULLMAN – California’s rebuild is happening at a torrid pace whether or not the Golden Bears make a bowl game in 2014. Cal has already won four more games than it did a season ago, including three more Pac-12 games, and the team should continue to improve with the return of sophomore quarterback Jared Goff.

But a bowl game could accelerate Cal’s improvement by giving the team extra practices, raising the team’s recruiting profile and giving the program notoriety for reaching the postseason just one year after going 1-11.

Cal (5-6, 3-6) can become bowl eligible with a home win this Saturday against BYU. The Golden Bears are 4 1/2-point favorites over the Cougars, who have already lost starting quarterback Taysom Hill and running back Jamaal Williams – the team’s two leading rushers – for the season.

“They have lost two of their more dynamic playmakers offensively and that’s tough when you lose really good football players,” Cal coach Sonny Dykes said. “I think they’ve shifted their offense – which any good coaching staff does – to try to get the ball to their playmakers.”

When Hill was injured against Utah State the Cougars lost their next four games. They entered that game coming off impressive wins against Virginia, Houston, and a 41-7 drubbing of Texas on the road in which Hill threw for 200 yards and ran for another 160.

But BYU has won its last three games, including last weekend’s 64-0 shellacking of Savannah State. Their defense uses an odd alignment up front that allows them to be creative in how they pressure the quarterback.

Much of Cal’s offensive success this season has been credited to the emergence of a running game, but the Cougars rank No. 13 in the country in rushing defense, so Goff and the Bear Raid receivers will have their hands full.

Dykes compares the Cougars to the rival that just pasted Cal in Berkeley, 38-17.

“They remind me a lot of Stanford in that they’re very tall, long, strong physical guys and they know how to play football,” Dykes said.

Territorial Cup hot ticket

The annual matchup between No. 11 Arizona and No. 13 Arizona State will carry extra importance this weekend due to the unusual strength of both participants. The teams are both ranked in the AP Top-25 for the first time since 1986 and if UCLA loses to Stanford then the Territorial Cup winner will advance to the Pac-12 championship game.

The Wildcats could be without starting quarterback Anu Solomon, who aggravated an ankle injury in UA’s win at Utah last weekend. He reportedly wore a boot during Monday night’s practice.

“I haven’t heard if he’ll play or he won’t play but I presume he will play,” said ASU coach Todd Graham. “That’s what we’ll plan for and then we’ll see what happens.”

Jesse Scroggins is Solomon’s backup.